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Demographic data collection in less developed countries 1946-1996.

¹Center for Population Studies, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Population Studies

|November 1, 1996

Summary

Data collection in developing nations shows mixed results over 50 years. While population censuses are successful, civil registration systems struggle to provide vital rate estimates.

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Area of Science:

Demography
Development Studies
Public Health

Background:

Assesses the evolution of data collection systems in developing countries over the past 50 years.
Examines the progress and limitations of civil registration systems and population censuses.
Reviews various demographic survey designs, including multi-round and single-round approaches.

Observation:

Civil registration systems have shown disappointing progress in providing vital rate estimates, with limited success outside Central and South America.
Population censuses have been largely successful, particularly in Africa, in collecting demographic data.
Single-round surveys, like the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), are increasingly replacing multi-round designs.

Findings:

DHS-style surveys are effective for evaluating interventions but less suitable for measuring vital rates.
Significant disparities exist in the effectiveness of different data collection methods across regions.
The shift towards single-round surveys reflects a change in data collection priorities.

Implications:

There is a need to improve civil registration systems for accurate vital statistics in developing countries.
The choice of data collection method should align with specific research objectives, such as intervention evaluation versus vital rate measurement.
Future data collection strategies must consider regional contexts and the specific needs for demographic data.

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